The Paladins - James M. Ward [18]
"Fool! We have more power than we can imagine at our wingtips, and you want to run home to whine to a balor! So be it! Let us see who'll be a molting lackey, and who will command the bloodforge. I'm not afraid!"
"Have fun on the other side, fighting those sentinels," sneered Rejik. "Remember how tough the primes we encountered down here were? Ha!"
Shaakat paused, recalling the wounds he had suffered in this curious subterranean labyrinth, at the hands of humans, elves, and dwarves in armor. Once or twice, he admitted reluctantly, they had had to flee the battle, although they came that close to winning those fights.
"Exactly," chimed in Rejik, reading his thoughts. "Do you think we can simply step through this gate and take our prize? We may well not be enough. Remember what Raachaak said? Others have failed before us."
Shaakat gazed up at the portal, then craned his scrawny neck around to look over his feathery black shoulder, at the vast complex behind them. "I have an idea," he thought. "It will require the both of us to succeed, but it cannot fail. Rejik, will you ascend, and never fear Raachaak again, upon a bold stroke? Will you join with me… for now?"
Rejik stared at the other vrock, pondering. He hissed ruefully, "First, tell me your plan."
Chapter 4
A young warrior in the best equipment ever made is still a young warrior.
"Noph, you aren't planning to use that boat hook, are you?" Jacob asked sharply. Noph had been watching a pair of glowing eyes under the water beside the boat for several heartbeats. He'd thought of trying to hook whatever the eyes were-at least it was a distraction from all that spooky laughter in the darkness-but
Jacob's tone dissuaded him.
"Of course not," he answered. "I was just securing the hook. Has anyone else looked over the side of the boat lately?"
"Yes, but don't worry about it. We're at the end of the line."
Ahead, the cave ceiling narrowed, ending their boat ride. Aleena moved the tiller to angle toward a cave mouth to the side, which led up and out of sight. Harloon hopped into the water and dragged the boat to the shore. Noph gasped and leaned over the side, watching for the eyes in the river.
"Sdop dhere," a voice boomed.
"Doll, you musd pay a doll," another voice shouted.
"Dheir lighds so brighd," bawled another.
"Shud up, 'ficial doll keepers can'd be bodhered by lighds," scolded a fourth voice.
The party quickly drew their weapons and leaped to the shore. Three immense creatures with two heads apiece stepped out of the cave shaft-ettins! Each of the monsters carried a stone club the size of a man in each hand. They wrapped themselves sloppily in dark brown cave bear hides, covered in a thick layer of crusty dirt. Their wild, wiry hair grew long and unkempt, and their large teeth thrust at odd angles from their puffy red mouths. With their large, watery eyes and upturned, piggish snouts, they resembled freakish orcs.
"We no fighd widh you if you pay doll," the right head of the middle ettin claimed. "We keep dhis area clear of monsders. We ged dolls for dhis."
"We led everyone pass who pays doll," said the other head, resting its two clubs on the ground. "You have sheep or caddie?"
"Aleena could blast these brutes," suggested Noph, casting a worshipful look at the enchantress. "That would send them running."
"Wait," interrupted Miltiades, pushing Noph back with his warhammer. "These very intelligent creatures are attempting to provide a service. I suggest we deal honestly with them and be on our way."
The ettins smiled at the compliment, displaying their rotting teeth.
"Dhad's righd," said the first one. "We very indel… imbled… inbred…"
"Smard," supplied its other head.
"Righd. Smard."
"If they perform a useful service, they have every right to expect a fee," said Kern.
"Looks like dhey don'd have caddie," remarked the left head of the ettin on the right.